Cigar Box Lithographs Volume VII
Historical Women Enriching Cigar Box Labels
Focused on woman-centered cigar box labels that gave smokers an opportunity to contemplate “greater, long-lasting values,” Cigar Box Lithographs Volume VII is an appealing collector’s guide.
With a central theme of notable women, longtime cigar memorabilia collector Charles J. Humber’s Cigar Box Lithographs Volume VII continues a series on the artistic and cultural significance of historical wooden cigar box labels.
This volume centers eighty-plus women-centered lithographed cigar box labels manufactured during the height of cigar smoking popularity, from 1875 to 1915. Targeting the “eight out of ten men” who purchased cigars during that time, the typical models adorning cigar boxes were buxom young women with minimal identities beyond their commercialized allure. These objectified depictions are contrasted with the book’s featured labels, which include images of women who were humanitarians, nurses, authors, and actresses. They represent an impressive range of historical figures. Though the use of decorative women in advertising remained the general standard, the book argues that the inclusion of exemplary women on cigar boxes offered men the opportunity to contemplate “greater, long-lasting values,” along with “enlightenment and educational progress.”
Appealing reproductions of the spotlighted labels are accompanied by relevant text. While specific collectible values are not given, estimates regarding the rarity of each item and its potential monetary value are sometimes included. The book is distinguished by its historical details, which evoke the social context of each label in an informational yet personable manner. Indeed, for all of its featured labels, the book includes intriguing supplemental facts and photographs. Though some of the featured women are well known—including Red Cross founder Clara Barton and disability rights advocate Helen Keller—others are less so. These include Harriet Quimby, the first American woman to earn a pilot license and fly across the English Channel; independent and intrepid, she is recalled to have designed her own “plum satin” flying suit and was honored with a commemorative US postage stamp.
While the book’s labels are not arranged in chronological or alphabetical order, a helpful table of contents and index are included. Enhanced by a vibrant variety of color photographs, the compact text is accessible and engrossing. In the realm of the arts, the labels depict theatrical legends Ethel Barrymore, Sarah Bernhardt, and Mae West, as well as actress Laura Keene. And in addition to American Colonial historical figures Dolley Madison and Betsy Ross, Native Americans Sacajawea, Pocahontas, and Red Wing are also featured. Other progressive, woman-focused cigar box labels include “The Bloomer Club,” which pictures a gathering of Victorian-era women rejecting their long, cumbersome skirts to wear the “loose trousers” known as bloomers.
Expert and eclectic, the engaging collector’s resource Cigar Box Lithographs Volume VII rediscovers the historical cigar industry’s celebrations of remarkable women.
Reviewed by
Meg Nola
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
